Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is used to evaluate the environmental impact of products, including plastic pipes. The provided sources touch upon aspects of LCA, specifically focusing on the energy needed for manufacturing as part of the overall assessment.
The energy required for manufacturing pipes is a component considered within LCA studies. Polyolefin (PO) materials generally require about three times more specific drive energy than PVC for pipe production.
Typical energy consumption distribution at an extrusion site is approximately 65% for Drive, 10% for Heating, and 25% for Mixers, pumps, coolers, etc.. An estimate for total electricity costs for a typical extrusion plant is around $75,- /ton.
PVC has a significant advantage in terms of embodied energy derived from fossil fuels because more than half of its composition is Chlorine, which is widely available from salt. This reduces the reliance on oil compared to polymers derived solely from petrochemicals.
Sustainability efforts, often aligned with LCA principles, involve reducing the amount of fossil fuels used per pipe length. This can be achieved through:
For pressure pipes, biaxially oriented PVC (PVCO) significantly reduces wall thickness (by more than half for the same pressure class) due to its higher strength (MRS 40-50 MPa vs. UPVC MRS 25 MPa) and lower safety factor. This means less material is processed for the same pipe length, improving sustainability.
The sources note that the LCA information presented, such as the manufacturing energy data, is not a full cradle-to-grave analysis and does not include recycling or disposal at end-of-life.